


Return to Genesis

by beautifulwheatbread



Category: Lovecraft Country (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon Fix-It, Romance, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28724847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulwheatbread/pseuds/beautifulwheatbread
Summary: “You won’t be dead like William or Hillary, but you’ll be asleep for a long time. Until I decide to wake you.” Christina's voice is a distant memory in Ruby's mind. But Ruby is awake, and Christina is nowhere to be found. Ruby realizes that she could walk out of this house and put the nonsensical world of magic behind her, but she has a horrible feeling that something bad happened to Christina, and Ruby is determined to find out what. - This is my attempt at a fix-it after the season finale. It is mostly canon compliant, but Tic survived Christinas spell.
Relationships: Ruby Baptiste/Christina Braithwhite
Comments: 19
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

Ruby’s eyes snap open. Her head pounds as she blinks the blurriness from her vision and looks around the dimly-lit room. _How long was I out? What the hell happened?_ She recognizes the brick walls of Christina’s basement, and she’s lying on a cot, covered in a thick white blanket. _Christina_ , Ruby remembers with a start, and her memories come rushing back to her. Christina had found out that Ruby was trying to help Leti, and… 

_The vial felt like a cold chunk of lead in Ruby’s hand. She didn’t want to do this, but she’d always taken care of her little sister and she sure as hell wasn’t going to stop now, no matter how infuriating Leti could be. She shut the door of the metal fridge, ready to leave the house before Christina noticed Ruby was gone._

_But as she turned to leave, she found Christina in her path. Her eyes darted to Ruby’s full hand, and the cautious curiosity in her stare melted into hurt and simmering anger._

_“Oh… ”_

Christina caught her. Which meant… “that _bitch_ ,” Ruby whispers when she realizes why Christina put her to sleep, “Using my body without permission,” Ruby mutters to herself, her mind still filled with the dense fog of sleep.

_Ruby stood unmoving. She’d almost gotten away with it. Almost. But Christina had caught Ruby betraying her trust, plotting against her, and Ruby knew she was fucked._

_“Alright, Christina. What’s it gonna be?” Ruby crossed her arms. She took a risk, and she got caught. Ruby’s not a fool, she knew Christina cared for her, to some extent, but Christina’s ambition is paramount to all._

_“I’m not going to kill you, if that is what you are suggesting,” Christina’s voice is sharp and chilling like the jagged edges of ice shards. “You won’t be dead like William or Hillary, but you’ll be asleep for a long time. Until I decide to wake you.”_

But Christina isn’t here, Ruby suddenly realizes, her gaze combing the room again and again, as if staring into the empty space would summon the woman she is searching for. Christina isn’t here, but Ruby is awake.

“Shit,” Ruby gasps, trying to keep the worry out of her voice, despite there being no one around to hear it. Ruby practically jumps out of bed, stumbling as her stiff muscles wake up. “What happened, Christina?” She murmurs, knowing that if Christina hadn’t undone the spell herself, then something must have stopped Christina’s magic from keeping Ruby asleep. Ruby feels herself growing frantic, and although she is angry at Christina, Ruby can’t help but be concerned about her; something happened to Christina, and it wasn’t good. Is Ruby upset that Christina put her in a coma? Hell yeah, but Ruby did betray Christina’s trust to help her family, and despite the situation, she feels a little guilty. Ruby eyes the steps that lead up and out of the basement. She is free to walk out of this house and leave this nonsensical world of magic and betrayal behind - she doesn’t owe anything to anyone now - not to Leti, whose request led to Ruby ending up in a coma, and certainly not to the woman who put her in that coma. 

But Ruby doesn’t walk up those stairs. She can’t and she’s not entirely sure why. She feels that same enigmatic pull that she did the day that Christina, wearing William’s body, placed a blood-filled vial on the bureau and told Ruby to do whatever the hell she wanted. So Ruby turns her gaze away from the steps and begins to plan. _I gotta find Christina,_ Ruby thinks, _but just to whoop her ass… that’s all_. Ruby walks over to the long wooden table in the center of the room, flipping pages, moving vials, until she finds what she was looking for - the leather bound book that Christina had shown Ruby right before…

Ruby’s heart flutters at the memory of soft lips pressed against hers, of the electrifying touch of cool fingers on Ruby’s cheeks. The kiss was originally meant to be a distraction, so Christina would let her guard down for long enough for Ruby to sneak into the basement to get a vial of her blood, hair, and nails. That’s all the kiss was supposed to be, but as Ruby knows, life rarely goes according to plan. She wanted the words she spoke to Christina in that moment to be beautiful lies - it would make her plan so much simpler - but everyone knows the best lies stem from the truth, and Ruby’s words and actions were her truth. That was the first kiss where they were both their true selves… and likely their last. Ruby shakes her head to expel the discouraging thought, and opens the spell book, sighing in relief at the notecards tucked in between each page, describing the type of spell that was recorded there. _Well she’s nothing if not thorough, huh? Or more like obsessed, I guess._

A few minutes of rapid flipping, and Ruby finally lands on a page with a note that reads “Teleportation” in neat handwriting. The symbols for the incantation on the page swim before her eyes, but Christina’s note card seems to contain lines of the spell written in English letters. The letters don’t form any words that Ruby recognizes - they’re more like sounds being spelled out, so she tries to pronounce them as they’re written. Before she opens her mouth to utter the spell, she runs through a checklist of the elements of magic that Christina had taught her. The spell on the note card is the incantation. She supposes that location and intention are relatively similar for this spell because besides being in the basement of Christina’s home, all Ruby can think about is _Christina. Take me to Christina_ . Ruby grabs another vial of Christina’s blood from the refrigerator in order to satisfy the requirement for a body. As Ruby opens her mouth for what she believes will be a fruitless attempt to read the English version of the spell, she feels rough sounds fall from her tongue. The spell is messy, but Ruby manages to string the sounds of the incantation together, and as the syllables of the spell hang in the air and Ruby’s hands tighten around the open spellbook and the vial, the only thought in Ruby’s mind is _take me to Christina_.

The spell compresses Ruby, grabbing for her oxygen, and for just a second, the push of the spell is so extreme that Ruby fears her bones will snap under the pressure. But then there is a sudden release, all the pain disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. Ruby feels the cool autumn air on her face before she sees the night sky overhead, a full moon substantially past its peak in the sky, surrounded by a smattering of stars. Ruby spins around, finding herself in some sort of stone ruins. 

“What the hell-” She begins, worrying that the spell hadn’t worked, or had simply transported her to some forgotten land, far from her home. 

Ruby takes a deep breath to try and calm the buzz of adrenaline that pulses through her bloodstream… and another… and another. But no amount of deep breaths are able to quench the fire that roars in her body. _That’s because it’s not adrenaline_ , Ruby realizes, T _his isn’t a surge of nerves or a fight or flight response. This is what_ power _feels like._ She lets out the tiniest laugh of disbelief, _I guess now I really understand all the hype about magic._ Ruby may have used magic to transform into Hillary, but it wasn’t her spell or her words that caused the metamorphosis - this is entirely different. By performing that incantation, Ruby made the fabric of space bend to her will. The rush of power is intoxicating. _Is this how God felt when he created the earth?_ And for a few beautifully enigmatic moments, Ruby finds herself lost in her very own Genesis.

“R-Ruby?” A voice rings out through the night, pulling Ruby back to reality, and she scans the rubble, looking for the source of the sound.

“Oh my God, Ruby!” the voice shouts, louder now, followed by the sound of footsteps pounding on the dirt, and Ruby turns to see Leti sprinting towards her, as quick as lightning.

“Leti!” Ruby smiles, wrapping her sister in a hug when they collide, “What happened here? Are you okay?” After a moment in the embrace, Ruby tries to pull away, but Leti holds on tight.

“We’re okay, just barely,” Leti’s voice wavers, “How are you here? She said she killed you, and I thought… I thought that-”

“Wait what?” Ruby pulls away a bit more forcefully this time, and looks at Leti, face to face. Her sister looks shaken, but unharmed. It seems that Christina was true to her word.

“Christina,” Leti begins to explain, “Christina, she came to Ardham with us, disguised as you. And she told me that she killed you. And oh God, she tried to kill Tic, she almost did it too, God, she would have if Ji-Ah hadn’t stepped in and channeled some of Christina’s immortality to Tic - just enough to bring him back from the dead.” Ruby catches sight of Tic, further back in the direction that Leti had run from. He lies on a blanket-covered stone slab, surrounded by his family. Montrose holds one of Tic’s hands, Hippolyta holds the other, and Ji-Ah and Dee help bandage what appear to be large cuts on his arms. From this distance, Ruby can just barely make out the feeble rise and fall of Tic’s chest. _Barely alive, but still alive, thank God._ Ruby knew Tic’s death would have crushed her sister’s heart, which was the main reason she had chosen to betray Christina in the first place.

Ruby is stunned,“Her spell worked?” she whispers.

“Yeah, well… sorta,” Leti’s words drip with disgust, “It worked, but we were able to stop her. We took her magic, her’s and all white people’s. They’ll never use it against us again. Never.” Leti laughs slightly as she says these words, a broken laugh full of pain and disbelief, but also hope. 

But Ruby doesn’t smile, “Where’s Christina?”

Leti’s brow furrows, “Dee finished that bitch off. She’ll never hurt anyone again. She’ll never hurt _you_ again.” Leti puts a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, Ruby, Christina is dead.”

Ruby feels like someone plunged her into the depths of the ocean, filling her lungs with frigid water and suffocating her. Her whole body tenses and she tries to take a deep breath of autumn air, but her lungs refuse to inflate. This is not what was supposed to happen, it was just supposed to be a binding spell.

“Ruby wha-” concern rings through Leti’s voice, but Ruby cuts her off.

“She never hurt me,” Ruby hisses through gritted teeth. This was the truth. Not even when Christina put Ruby into the coma - Ruby didn’t feel a thing. “She wouldn’t hurt me.” When they got into the car crash, Ruby saw the fear in Christina’s eyes, heard her panicked call. Ruby was the first thought in Christina’s mind, and she immediately ran to where Ruby sat in the car to make sure she was safe. The memory claws at Ruby’s already fragile heart.

Leti frowns in confusion, but before she can open her mouth to speak, Ruby demands, “Where is she?”

When Leti doesn’t reply, Ruby asks again, “Where. Is. She?” 

Seeing the determination in her sister’s eyes, Leti leads her past Tic, through a crumbling archway, and to a stone platform, covered in large chunks of stone debris. Ruby approaches the platform, and her knees almost buckle when she sees the glint of white-blonde hair in the moonlight. In front of her, under the rubble, lies Christina, her neck purple, blood spattered around her like maroon splatter paint on a grey canvas. _God her eyes… they’re still open_ , Ruby realizes with shock, and before she thinks about it, she reaches a shaking hand out to close those beautiful but chilling blue eyes.

“Ruby, I know you had some kind of… relationship with her, but she was evil and manipulative. She used you, she tried to kill me, and she nearly killed Tic. All for what? Immortality? Greed?” Leti spits, “She wanted the Book of Names for her spell, and when we wouldn’t give it to her, she set out to kill Tic. We did what we had to do to protect our family.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped as she processes this new information, “Are you telling me that if you had given her that book, none of this would have happened?” She tries to keep her voice composed, but Ruby’s anger tears into her words. “Tic would be alive and healthy, and so would Christina… This shitshow would have been avoided completely?” 

Leti frowns, “You know these white people. They take and take. It never would have been one spell if we gave her the book. She’d take every spell, every ounce of power for herself, and that is a danger that had to be prevented.”

Ruby stares at her sister with eyes wide with disbelief, “Okay, so what if you had supervised her use of the book, huh? You could’ve had her come to the Freeman’s shop to read or write down her spell, and watched her every move to make sure that was all she looked at. You never had to give her the book, Leti, y’all could’ve kept the situation under control. You had the power here, the leverage, and you didn’t know how to fucking use it.”

Leti fumbles to formulate some response, but ultimately she has no adequate defense and her eyes drift to the ground.

“Ha, unbelievable,” Ruby throws her hands up in exasperation, and then she grabs Leti’s shoulders. Her sister’s eyes meet her own.

“This whole thing could have been avoided… So you’re gonna help me bring her back.”

Leti’s barks out an incredulous laugh, “Oh helllll no. First of all, the only person at fault here is her,” Leti jabs an accusatory finger toward Christina’s body, “And secondly, I’d _never_ bring that devil back.”

The look in Leti’s eyes is murderous, and Ruby feels hope seeping out of her body. If Leti won’t help her, Ruby won’t be able to bring Christina back, she’s just too inexperienced. It’s a miracle that Ruby was even able to perform the teleportation spell.

Ruby takes a deep breath, her eyes locked on the body in front of her, trying to tame the sadness and passion that bubbles in her chest, “I know. I know she’s done terrible things. But Leti,” Ruby looks at her sister, “It’s not that simple. She isn’t- wasn’t evil… She was a lot of things. Selfish and stubborn, and manipulative, yes. But she… she was changing. Every time I was with her, I saw something in her change.” 

“You’re gonna stand there and tell me that bitch isn’t evil when she tried to and briefly succeed in killing Tic only a few hours ago? ” Leti yells, angered by the proposition, but detecting the intense sentiment in her sister’s voice.

“Maybe she doesn’t deserve a second chance, but don’t deny your part in this. She would have left you alone if you gave her the book.” Ruby seethes.

“It doesn’t matter what she would’ve done! All that matters is she chose to murder the man I love. She made that awful choice and she has no one to blame for it but herself. There’s no goddamn excuse.” Leti’s hands are in fists now, her dirty nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms.

Ruby takes a moment to cool off and allow Leti to do the same. Ruby knows her sister and she knows that she won’t get anywhere with Leti’s anger barricading the way, so she decides to try a different approach. “How about this Leti? You’re going to give her a second chance because it will make her miserable,” Leti opens her mouth, confused and about to object, but Ruby holds up a hand and continues to speak, allowing more of her pent up emotions to permeate her words, “I know it sounds insane, but you said you took her magic. That was the origin of all her problems. She can’t hurt anyone without it. Especially not if _we_ are the only ones who can wield it now.”

To Ruby’s satisfaction, Leti is silent, which is a lot better than shouting furiously at Ruby’s ideas. _Maybe we’ve got a shot_ , Ruby thinks as she watches her sister mull over the proposition.

“Think of it as a punishment. You’re right, Christina is ambitious and greedy and obsessed. Oh Lord, is that girl obsessed with magic. It’s all she’s ever cared about, it’s what she’s built her life around. And now it’s gone and she can’t do a damn thing about it.”

Leti’s eyes are wide with shock, but she lets Ruby continue, “We can bring her back. I have her book and you have the Book of Names. Bringing her back into a magicless existence will be torture for her… probably worse than death.”

As she says those words, Ruby cringes because she knows they are true. Magic is, or was, Christina’s entire life. She doesn’t want Christina to suffer but she needs to tell Leti what she wants to hear, or Christina will be gone for good.

“I dunno, Ruby,” Leti sighs, “I mean Christina’s father brought me back from the dead so I don’t doubt that we can do it, but I really don’t think we should. That witch could still be dangerous, even without magic.”

Ruby bites her lip, thinking about what to say that will convince Leti to bring Christina back, “She knows more about magic than anyone we know, and she could help us learn to use it properly, so we don’t fuck up and risk hurting anyone. Isn’t that the whole point of this anyway? Protecting our people, not hurting them? But even if we don’t need her help… I… I care about her.” Ruby looks down, too afraid to see Leti’s reactions to those difficult words.

“So please, I’m asking you to trust me. How many times have I helped you over the years? No questions asked? Please, help me bring her back,” Ruby finishes, choking back tears of frustration. It feels like hours pass, but Leti finally nods.

“Okay… but I swear to the good Lord if she even _looks_ like she is gonna bring harm to this family, or anyone else, I’ll snap her neck without even touching her,” Leti turns on her heel, walking towards their companions, “We’re gonna need help,” Leti calls to Ruby without looking back.

Ruby releases a breath that she didn’t know had been trapped in her lungs and her legs turn to jelly. _I can’t fucking believe that worked_ , Ruby was sure Leti would say no, Christina did kill Tic not too long ago and the wound is still fresh - quite literally. With Leti explaining the situation to their family, Ruby finally kneels down next to Christina’s lifeless body.

“Goddamn you, Braithwhite,” Ruby whispers, “Putting _me_ in a coma? Almost killing Tic? I’m gonna have to put you in your place so none of that bullshit ever happens again,” Ruby’s voice quivers as emotion washes over her, and she reaches out to stroke Christina’s hair, “But I need you to come back first.”

Ruby isn’t sure how much time passes after that. She is only faintly aware of the debate going on behind her. It seems that her companions are less than thrilled by her proposition, but that’s to be expected. If anyone can persuade them, it’s Leti. In the meantime, Ruby tears off a piece of her own dress, and uses the fabric to wipe some of the blood off Christina’s face and neck. A good amount of it has dried, but by the time Ruby has cleaned up as much of the mess as she can, Leti and Hippolyta walk up behind her. 

“I’ve lived many lives,” Hippolyta says calmly, “I’ve had many identities. That’s how I’ve become incredibly good at reading people. I’ve seen enough people perform horrific actions to recognize evil when I see it.”

Ruby refuses to turn around, afraid of what Hippolyta is implying.

“But,” Hippolyta continues, “I don’t see evil in this woman. Is she power hungry? Manipulative? Absolutely. She’s all kinds of messed up, and she’s a dreadful human being. But evil? No. Trust me, true evil is indisputable.” With these words, Ruby looks at the blue haired woman, nurturing that tiny flame of hope that is being kindled in her heart. 

“I’ll help bring back Christina, even though Montrose is strongly opposed,” Hippolyta rests a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, “I don’t think that girl is evil. But I’m doing this for you, not her.”

Ruby wipes a tear from her cheek, and that flicker of hope begins to burn bigger and brighter, “Thank you.”

Hippolyta nods, “First we’ll need to move these rocks.”

Leti and Hippolyta flip through the pages of Christina’s book until they find a spell to move earth. They read the symbols, chant the spell, and the rocks fall to either side of Christina, exposing her body and filthy, torn red dress.

The next step will be more difficult; they need to bring Christina back from the dead. It takes another few minutes of searching the spells in the books until they find two spells they think will accomplish the task.

“The Mark of Cain and the Breath of Life,” Leti reads, looking between Christina’s spell book and the Book of Names in which each spell is recorded. Luckly, Christina wrote out a note card for the Mark of Cain spell, but Leti and Hippolyta, both of whom learned the Language of Adam from Tic, have to spend the better part of ten minutes teaching Ruby how to enunciate the Breath of Life spell.

Once Ruby is able to utter the spell decently enough, Leti looks between Hippolyta and Ruby, and asks “Are y’all ready?”

Ruby nods hastily, and moves to kneel above Christina’s head, placing her hands on either of the woman’s shoulders. Leti and Hippolyta move behind Ruby, each placing one hand on Ruby’s shoulders, and then the three women begin the spells.

The words are rough and grating, but they leap off the women’s tongues as they chant the first spell. The wind picks up, swirling around Christina’s body, whipping and pulling at the hair of Leti, Ruby, and Hippolyta. Suddenly, a sizzling sound comes from Christina’s body, indicating that the mark of Cain has appeared somewhere on her skin. Ruby watches as the wounds on Christina’s body shrink. The purple bruise around her neck fades until it has practically disappeared. Ruby feels that hope growing inside her, but she refuses to be distracted. The wind howls now, even more frenzied than before, but it no longer grabs at the spellcasters, instead it rushes over Christina. Suddenly, the wind stops all together and Christina’s chest expands, as if she just took a deep breath, and then falls. A minute passes, then two. The incantations have stopped and Leti and Hippolyta back away from Ruby and Christina’s body. 

The feeling of exhilarating power courses through Ruby’s veins once again, but this time the buzz quiets itself quickly; Christina has not moved. _It didn’t work,_ the fire in Ruby’s chest is quenched by a bucket of icy water. _We fucked it up and now she’s gone forever_. Ruby squeezes her eyes shut, unable to look at the body infront of her. Another minute. And another. Ruby opens her eyes, prepared to stand up and turn away from her failure, but when she gazes upon Christina’s face once more, she notices a change in color. Christina’s skin is no longer ashen, but it has a slight pink flush to it. And Ruby feels a tiny spark of hope. Only a few seconds later, Christina gasps, frantically filling her lungs with oxygen. 

“Oh my God,” Ruby chokes, “Oh my God, Christina?”

Ruby moves closer to Christina, and places a hand on the girl’s cheek, cold from the nippy autumn breeze.

Christina coughs, and struggles for air, but eventually her breathing evens out, and her wide blue eyes meet Ruby’s tear-filled brown ones. 

“R-Ruby?” Christina croaks. She shakes her head slightly, as if trying to clear away the last of death’s fog, and tries to prop herself up on her elbows.

“Hey, I’m here,” Ruby places an arm under Christina, helping her sit up. When Christina is upright, Ruby rubs small circles on her back, afraid to press too hard and break her body again. 

Christina’s eyes move around wildly, betraying a flood of emotions that pass by so quickly they’re impossible to read. 

“Do you remember what happened?” Ruby asks. Christina tentatively nods, and slowly brings a trembling hand to her throat, gently caressing the now-healed skin while also mourning her ability to speak the language of magic that had been so important to her for her entire life. As this realization washes over Christina, Ruby notices her jaw clench, and cold fire burns in her blue eyes.

“B-but my spell _worked_ ,” Christina rasps, every syllable must be agony, “it w-worked, Ruby.”

“I know,” Ruby sighs, watching as the flames in Christina’s eyes are enveloped in tears.

“I-is… T-Tic,” Christina starts, and Ruby answers quickly, so the blonde does not have to say another word with that mangled voice.

“Yeah, he’s alive,” Ruby whispers, and Christina’s shoulders sag, with what Ruby takes to be relief, “You didn’t kill the last of your family, but you came too fucking close.” 

Christina cringes and closes her eyes, and Ruby realizes now is not the time for this conversation. Ruby is upset, but lecturing a person who was just resurrected is probably not a productive idea. And despite Ruby’s frustration, she’s so relieved that Christina is alive that she pushes that displeasure to the back of her mind for now.

Christina, however, experiences a whirlwind of emotions, along with the physical and mental stress of being brought back from the dead, which cause the tears of disbelief that had been swimming in Christina’s eyes to tumble relentlessly down her cheeks and sobs to shake her body.

Ruby knows that Christina is not the victim here; her hunger for power, for immortality, put her in this situation and she has no one to blame but herself. But seeing the usually composed, apathetic Christina so overwhelmed with emotions that she can do nothing else but cry unnerves Ruby, so Ruby helps the woman she cares about in the only way she knows how - by pulling Christina into her arms. Christina melts into Ruby’s embrace, her small body still trembling.

“They took it…” Christina whispers. Ruby knows that she’s talking about her magic. _Shit_ , Ruby thinks, _she doesn’t even know how to exist without it._

“I know, Christina,” Ruby murmurs, and since there is nothing she can say to make this hurt go away, Ruby just starts to rock Christina back and forth slightly. 

Ruby decides to change the subject, allowing the words she was afraid to say tumble from her lips, “I’m so glad you’re alive,” Ruby murmurs so quietly that Christina almost doesn’t hear.

Almost.


	2. Chapter 2

After thanks from Ruby, and warnings of caution from her family, the group uses Christina’s book to perform another teleportation spell, bringing Tic and his family to Leti’s house, and Christina and Ruby back to Christina’s. 

The night that the women return to Christina’s house, Ruby helps Christina bathe, put on a red robe, and then crawl under the silk sheets of her bed. Neither of them speak a single word during the process, which is fine by Ruby because what do you even say in this absurd situation? Ruby turns off the lights in Christina’s room, and makes herself comfortable in one of the house’s many guest rooms. _I’d say that after bringing Christina back to life I’m entitled to some hospitality,_ Ruby thinks as she slides under the covers and is enveloped by the plush mattress.

The Mark of Cain worked, but only to an extent; casting the spell after death is not the intended use of the spell, which likely lessened its effect. Sure enough, a couple of days after the spell was performed, the Mark disappeared, having served its purpose to such an extent that it could no longer protect Christina. In the days following the equinox, Christina remains tucked away in her bed; Ruby is unsure if she’s moved so much as a finger since the night they returned. Ruby gives her space, leaving food and water on the bureau next to the bed, which is barely touched. 

This goes on for four full days, and on the fourth day, Ruby is fed up. She brings a couple of books up from the study for Christina to read, hoping to trigger some reaction in the woman, but Christina barely even glances at them when Ruby brings them into the room. That afternoon Ruby walks into Christina’s room to take the dishes off the bedside table and bring them downstairs to wash them. Christina lies under the silk sheets on her side with her back towards Ruby. Ruby is careful to be quiet, not allowing the plates to clank together as she stacks them. She wraps her hand around a nearly empty glass of water, and is about to lift it up when Christina practically hisses, “Just leave it,” from her fortress of sheets and pillows.

Ruby’s mouth drops open, _Oh she did_ not _just speak to me like that_.

Ruby begins to laugh incredulously, “Are you fucking serious? You think you can talk to me like that? In that tone? When I am trying to help _you_?”  
When Christina doesn’t reply, Ruby sets the plates back on the table, allowing them to crash together, not caring if they chip or break. She’s tired of this bullshit.

“You know what? I’m done. I don’t need to deal with this cold, bitchy attitude from you anymore. Especially not since I saved your sorry ass. I gave you a second chance when no one else would, and frankly, if you’re going to mope around and be rude to me for no goddamn reason, maybe I should’ve left you under that rubble.”

“Yes, it would have been better if you left me there. It’d be better for everyone if I were dead.” Christina mumbles.

 _What an ungrateful little…_ Ruby thinks to herself in frustration, before letting out an exasperated laugh, “Oh so you think you’re the victim here? Think again. You’d rather be dead right now? You’d rather have left me?” Those last words surprise Ruby. She didn’t mean to say them, she doesn’t even know where they came from, but after she blurts them out, she feels a bit of pressure release from her chest. 

Ruby hustles toward the door, her hands clenched at her sides. She’s glad that her back is towards Christina because Ruby feels the beginnings of frustrated tears prickling at her eyes. She’s no stranger to being insulted, to pushing through difficult situations and harsh words, but Christina has never spoken to her like that. She’s never snapped at Ruby, never been anything but gentle. Even when putting Ruby in the coma, Christina made sure Ruby was comfortable and safe. “You have enough cash to hire a butler. Let them put up with your shit. At least they’ll get paid,” but before Ruby can reach for the door knob, Christina’s voice rings out across the room.

“Ruby, wait,” Her voice has an edge to it, almost pleading, and Ruby reluctantly turns to see Christina in bed, propped up on her elbow, “Please… stay.”

Ruby faces Christina, crossing her arms and planting her feet firmly on the floor. She tilts her head, waiting for the blonde to speak, but Christina only shifts slightly in bed, making room for Ruby in a silent invitation. Ruby narrows her eyes, _Is she serious right now?_ But Ruby meets Christina’s eyes, and her heart flutters despite her anger. So Ruby slowly walks to the bed and sits next to Christina. A few long moments pass, and neither of them speak.

Ruby, tired of the silence, finally says, “So are you gonna talk to me or not?”

Christina can’t hold eye contact with Ruby. She looks around the room, gathers the sheets into bunches in her hands, or picks at her nails. Ruby takes a deep breath, calming herself down so she can listen to Christina without her irritation overpowering her. 

Ruby reaches a hand out, covering Christina’s hands that are filled with bunched up sheets. Her other hand goes to Christina’s chin, lifting her face up so Christina’s eyes finally meet Ruby’s, “Tell me what’s going on.”

It’s Christina’s turn to inhale deeply, “I don’t know what to do anymore, Ruby. Magic has been an integral part of me for my whole life. And now I feel like someone sucked the marrow from my bones. Everything I’ve ever done has been because of magic. My father distanced himself from me because of it, refusing to let me into the Order of Ancient Dawn even after I proved I could perform spells better than the majority of those old fucks. I didn’t have friends because they would just get in the way, because no one else understood why I spent all of my free time pouring over dusty old books.”

The words rush from Christina’s mouth, like they’d been trapped behind a dam that had finally been breached, and Ruby is surprised by the blonde’s uncharacteristic openness. _And all it took was dying and being resurrected, huh?_

Christina continues,“Especially these last few years, all I wanted was to perform that fucking spell. To prove my father and everyone else wrong. And it worked for a minute… and then the only thing in my life that had been consistent was taken from me. People are unreliable, but magic is constant. It comes when it is called upon, and as long as you’re careful, you can bend it to your will. You can feel it rush through your body, electrifying you. But now I’m just… empty.”

Christina pauses, mustering up courage before continuing, “Without magic, I’m nobody.” She says these words matter-of-factly, which breaks Ruby’s heart even more.

Ruby is silent, letting Christina’s words hang in the air, sodden with turmoil.

“I could tell you that magic isn’t “all that” anyway, and that you’re not missing out on much, but I’m not gonna lie to you,” Ruby speaks, her voice firm, “Magic is incredible. Magic is fascinating and exciting and powerful. And I don’t think you’re ever going to stop missing it.”

Christina’s brow furrows, she’s not sure what she expected Ruby to say, but this isn’t it.

“But magic is pain, so many levels of pain. Physical pain, like the metamorphosis, but also emotional pain. Your father put magic above his relationship with you, and excluded you from his order despite you proving your capability. Magic is the reason you put me in a coma, the reason you nearly killed Tic. Magic is what killed you. And all for what? Immortality? All to watch time pass you by as people grow and die around you? To live in a world that will someday be unrecognizable? I don’t know, maybe immortality would have been great, maybe it’s worth an eternity of loneliness.

“But I think some of the beauty of life lies in its mortality. Existence is finite, so every moment is precious. An eternity of firsts may be nice, but you only need a lifetime for the most impactful ones.” Ruby watches Chrstina’s face, but her expression is unreadable, so she continues.

“And you’re wrong. Magic didn’t make you who you are. You didn’t cast a spell that made you ambitious and tenacious. Oh no, no amount of magic would have made you into the manipulative bitch you are today,” Ruby raises her eyebrows, hoping her half-joke is appreciated and not misunderstood. Luckily, the corners of Christina’s mouth twitch up for a split second in amusement.

“Your ambition comes from your soul, Christina, and once you find something else that you care about as much as you cared about magic, something that makes the world more exciting and beautiful, you’ll pursue it as fiercely as you studied magic, and you’ll master that too. Because you are so much more than spells and incantations. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t sincerely believe that. I wouldn’t care about you as much as I do.” Ruby reaches out to wipe away the tears that are now trickling down Christina’s face. 

A few minutes pass before Christina speaks up, “I’m… I’m sorry. I’ll try to be less of a bitch, but I make no promises.”

“Oh, hold on,” Ruby holds up a finger and closes her eyes blissfully, “Let me savor this moment. I have a feeling you don’t say those words often.” Ruby can practically feel Christina rolling her eyes. 

“But also,” Ruby continues, “I’m not the only one you need to apologize to. And you better have a damn good apology for Tic and Leti.”

“I mean none of this would have happened if they gave me that damned book,” Christina sighs in exasperation, “And I warned them of the consequences.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but that doesn’t matter. You still nearly killed Tic, and that requires a huge apology.”

Christina pinches the bridge of her nose, “Where would I even begin?”

“Well you think about it,” Ruby takes a breath as she prepares to stand up, “But for now, I’ll let you get some rest. The more rest you get, the quicker you heal, and the sooner you’ll be able to do your own damn dishes.” 

Ruby begins to move away from the bed, but her arm is gently tugged back down. She looks at her hand and sees spindly fingers interlaced with her own. Ruby looks toward Christina’s face, and although the blonde doesn’t say anything, Ruby clearly receives Christina’s message.

“Or I suppose I could stay for a minute.” Ruby sits back down and slides under the soft sheets, facing Christina. Ruby smiles, her beautiful face lit up by the golden late-afternoon sunlight that streams through the large windows of the bedroom. Christina can’t help but stare in awe at the ethereal woman in front of her. 

Ruby bends her elbow and props her head up with her hand, “You want a bedtime story? Or should I check for monsters under the bed?” Ruby teases.

“Oh God, nevermind,” Christina moans, turning away from Ruby in partially-feigned embarrassment, but the blonde keeps her back pressed up against Ruby’s body. It does not take Christina long to fall asleep, succumbing to her healing body’s demands. 

Ruby takes in the woman before her. She looks so peaceful. In this moment, Ruby never would have guessed that she died and was resurrected only a few days ago, or that she had murdered Tic. But even with these actions in Christina’s past, Ruby looks at her and does not see the cold-hearted monster that everyone else sees. Oh no, that would be too simple. Christina is far more complex than just evil or monstrous, and Ruby feels like she knows her on a deeper level. She sees Christina’s faults, and understands them without blindly forgiving them. She’s not beyond changing and Ruby knows it. This conversation was a good start, but Ruby also recognizes that they’ve got a damn long way to go. Soon, Ruby is lulled asleep, lost in a rocking ocean of her own thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Sorry this took so long to post. I had it in a doc but just kept forgetting about it since classes started up again. I'd love any tips or feedback you have. I know I'm kind of idealizing the characters, but I'm trying to keep them as accurate as I can. Also, let me know if you want to read more of this fic :))


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Ruby decides to run some errands. There are some items she needs from the grocery store, but mostly, Ruby just wants to get out of that house and see the outside world. She needs to remember that there are people living normal lives where resurrection and magic can only be found in the Bible and fairytales respectively.

The sky is a bright cerulean and completely devoid of clouds. For some reason, the blues of an autumn sky have always seemed more vibrant to Ruby than the blues of a summer sky. Perhaps because the vivid blue provides a striking and welcome contrast to the reds, oranges, and browns of late autumn. Today, the color of the sky also reminds Ruby of familiar, piercing eyes, and although she wouldn’t mind taking her time, she suddenly feels compelled to return to the house. 

Ruby is not gone for too long - no more than two hours - and she returns to find Christina in the kitchen. Christina had been out of bed and walking around the house with some frequency since Ruby and Christina’s talk, but this is the first time since the equinox that Christina is wearing something other than a robe or sleepwear.

The blonde stands in the kitchen, looking practically spectral in a flowy white blouse and pale blue pants. Ruby blinks a few times to confirm her eyes are not deceiving her, and Christina looks up from the mug of coffee she is in the process of pouring.

“So did you finally get tired of the silky comfort of your many robes?” Ruby asks.

“Well robes are not appropriate attire to wear in public,” Christina replies nonchalantly.

“Uh, hold up. You went outside? In public?” Ruby’s voice is incredulous, and Christina nods in response, bringing her cup of coffee to her lips.

“When the hell did you do that? You were in bed when I left and I wasn’t gone for long.”

“I drive fast,” Christina smirks, “And I needed to be home before you.”

A crease forms between Ruby’s eyebrows and she opens her mouth to continue her inquiry, but Christina just tilts her head in the direction of the living room. Ruby’s eyes narrow as she places her thick coat on the hanger in the entryway, before she walks toward the living room. On the coffee table sits a maroon bag, no bigger than a shoe box. Ruby moves to sit on the plush couch, glancing over her shoulder at Christina who is leaning against the archway into the living room.

Ruby regards the gift in front of her, but does not open it. Instead, a fluttering, nervous pressure builds in her stomach before she finally asks the question she’d been wondering since the equinox, “Why aren’t you furious?”

The question is abrupt, but Christina’s voice betrays no surprise, “Are you referring to a general ire about the events of the equinox? Or a specific anger directed toward someone?” She knew the answer but asked anyway. Ruby turns around to glance at Christina’s face, but cannot meet her eyes. The blonde’s jaw is tight and her blue eyes are colder than usual; the equinox is obviously still a sore topic. 

“I mean, all of it… but specifically… why aren’t you furious at me?”

Christina purses her lips, “This is probably not the answer you want. But it’s because your betrayal didn’t work. I caught you trying to steal a vial of my blood, so you weren’t able to give it to your sister. Ultimately, you had no impact on that night. Your family bested me all on their own. Was I,” Christina clears her throat awkwardly, “... hurt by your actions? Yes. That’s why I barely spoke to you for days. But the hurt of that betrayal was soon softened by the fact that you brought me back when no one else would, even after what I did. And honestly, if you asked me, I would go beyond second chances for you. I’d do third and fourth, hell, even tenth. But if your betrayal had worked, if you were the reason my magic is gone, I honestly don’t know if I would have forgiven you for that.”

Ruby sits in silence for a moment, “The only reason I did it was for Leti. I know she was just using me to get what she wants, just like always. And just like always, I gave in. Because I remember that little girl with wide eyes who begged me for bedtime stories when our mother wasn’t around, or who I gave my lunch to when she was hungry. I always end up helping her. And I couldn’t see her lose the man she loves, and it was only supposed to be a binding spell anyway. I had no idea that…” at this point Ruby realizes she is rambling. Explaining away her actions and making excuses, although completely valid, but before she can make a correction, Christina says, “Ruby, I really don’t have any way to understand your actions. I suppose in theory I could, but the fact is that I’ve never had any family that I would risk my safety or anything else for. So no, I don’t understand but-”

“I’m sorry, Christina,” Ruby interjects before Chrisina can say another word, “I betrayed your trust and I’m sorry.”

The blonde looks surprised for a moment, as if she wasn’t expecting an apology, but then her gaze softens and she says, “I forgive you. But only if you open that up now,” as she waggles her finger at the bag.

Ruby feels so much lighter, as if finally confronting her guilt removed invisible weights from her body. She laughs and reaches into the bag and pulls out an article of clothing wrapped in crinkly plum-colored tissue paper. She removes the paper and holds the contents of the package up in front of her. A stunning deep red dress shimmers in the dim light of the living room. When Ruby looks at it more closely, she notices hundreds of tiny rubies sewn in along the shoulders and the neckline, cascading down the dress like a crimson waterfall.

“C-Christina,” Ruby is at an utter loss for words.

“There’s something else in the bag,” Christina’s voice is soft, almost tentative. 

Ruby drapes the dress on the cushion next to her, and then reaches into the bottom of the bag. She pulls out a small forest green box.  _ Oh Lord, Christina. _

The box contains a sparkling crystal brooch lying on a cushion of deep purple silk. Ruby carefully plucks the brooch off the cushion, and admires it; the brooch is in the shape of a shining red rose, with an emerald green snake winding up the stem and resting its head on the petals.

As striking as the brooch is, Ruby’s attention is caught by a small slip of paper nestled in the box. She brings it close to her face to read the tiny letters.

_ Because I could not give you an eternity. _

The note is written in Christina’s handwriting, and Ruby whirls around, “Christina, thank you. The dress, the brooch, they’re beautiful. But what’s this note?”

Christina shifts on her feet but remains propped against the doorframe, “I realized during our discussion a few nights ago that I never made my intentions clear to you.”

She walks around to sit on the armchair on the opposite side of the coffee table, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees and staring at the mahogany table in front of her.

“Once I knew that my spell worked and I had successfully obtained immortality, I was going to offer it to you as well. Even if I did not have the Book of Names, I am confident that I would have been able to recreate the spell. At that point I would have been immortal, unkillable. My blood should have done the trick.”

Ruby fights to keep her jaw from dropping open.

“That had always been my plan.”

Blue eyes finally meet brown, and the blonde continues, “I would never abandon you, Ruby. As long as you want me, you have me. And I never meant to leave you, even for those few hours. Trust me, dying was never my intention.”

Christina finishes with chuckle in an attempt to relieve some of the discomfort she feels from opening up.

_I would never abandon you_. Ruby clutches onto those words in her mind, replaying them over and over again. She refuses to let go of them, holding onto them like they are as precious as a diamond necklace or bar of gold. Ruby feels tears well in her eyes, and Christina clears her voice.  
“Um, do you want some coffee?” Christina offers, looking for an excuse to leave the room and escape the cloud of emotions she just generated.

Ruby nods absentmindedly, and once Christina exits the room, she allows a few tears to fall down her cheeks. She spends a moment wondering if she’s really just that easy to read, or if Christina somehow is better at understanding people than she thought. The night of their talk, when the phrase “ _ You’d rather have left me? _ ” tumbled from Ruby’s lips, Ruby had finally realized the origin of some of her anger towards Christina. People in her life left her, they always had. Some of Ruby’s earliest memories were being at home alone, wondering when or even if her mother would be back, trying to understand what she had done to drive her mother away. Of course now she knows it wasn’t her fault, but the feeling still lingers like an oily residue on Ruby’s heart. Marvin moved away, and Leti couldn’t get out of Chicago fast enough. In fact, her little sister seemed to prefer to be anywhere in the world  _ but _ in Chicago. Ruby decided keeping both physical and metaphorical distance between herself and others was good. She wouldn’t fall apart when they left her. 

But Christina was different, and Ruby couldn’t explain how. Perhaps it was because Christina had seen all the worst parts of Ruby, all the parts that were complicated and twisted, the parts of her that took over her body, or Hillary’s body, in the basement of the department store. Christina had regarded all of that, and Christina had stayed. Maybe Ruby was comforted that Christina was way more fucked up than she was - whatever she did, it wasn’t even half as bad as what Christina Braithwhite had done in the course of her life.

That’s why it was so hard for Ruby to steal that vial. Betraying Christina, especially by fucking with her life’s work, and no matter how justified Ruby’s actions were, might have been the only thing that would have driven Christina away. And it almost did. And Christina had left Ruby, had left the goddamn Earth for a time.

But she came back. Ruby brought her back, and now Christina is in the other room, getting coffee for Ruby, giving her gifts and telling her the one thing that Ruby desperately needed to hear, “ _ I will never abandon you _ .” 

So Ruby wipes away her tears as she hears Christina’s footsteps gliding across the wood floors. A mug of coffee is placed on the table in front of Ruby, with the exact amount of cream that Ruby takes, but instead of picking up the cup, Ruby quickly rises from the couch and faces Christina, who stares back with mild confusion.

Without wasting a second more, Ruby presses her lips to Christina’s, falling into the softness and warmth. This kiss is entirely different from their last one - the one in the basement. That was a kiss of shock and tension, and to Ruby, a kiss of endings. But this kiss… this kiss feels like the metamorphosis, without the pain of the transition. It feels like a confrontation and expulsion of their old selves, and a step into a new life. Ruby loses herself in Christina’s touch, in the gentle stroking of nimble fingers on Ruby’s smooth cheeks. When they finally break away, Ruby falls to the couch, no longer trusting her legs to support her, and after a few heartbeats, Ruby casually picks up her coffee.

Christina clears her throat, dispelling the silence “So I suppose that means you like your gifts?”

Ruby doesn’t respond, but uses her other hand to grab onto Christina’s and pulls the blonde onto the couch next to her. She doesn’t let go of Christina’s hand, even though she feels reassured; Christina isn’t going anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Happy Friday :)) Thank you so much for reading! And thank you to BrokenSandcastles for suggesting that Ruby apologize - I wasn't going to put that in originally, but I think it made a lot of sense. Again, I'm definitely idealizing the characters a bit, but hey, that's what fics are for right? I have some more chapters in the works, but I'm about to go back to school so updates might be less frequent which I apologize for. As always, please leave any tips in the comments; I love to read them!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the fic! This is actually the first fic I have ever posted so I would love any feedback you could give me. I also have ideas for other chapters, so if you guys liked this first chapter and would want to read more just let me know. Thanks for reading :))


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